A successful first visit to the Canton Fair depends on what you do in the eight weeks before you fly. This checklist covers every step for the 140th session (15 October to 4 November 2026): registration and entry, phones and payments, what to pack, how to take notes at booths and what to do once you are back home.
Key takeaways
- Start preparing eight to ten weeks before the fair to secure registration, hotel and supplier shortlists.
- Online pre-registration and the buyer badge are free; on-site registration costs extra time and a small fee.
- Most EU citizens can enter China visa-free for up to 30 days for business until 31 December 2026.
- Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay with your foreign card and an eSIM before departure; daily life in China is largely cashless.
- Bring at least 200 business cards and a one-page product brief with target prices and certifications.
- Send follow-up emails within 48 hours after the fair while suppliers still remember you.
What should you do 8-10 weeks before?
- Choose your phase. Match your products to Phase 1 (15-19 October), Phase 2 (23-27 October) or Phase 3 (31 October to 4 November). See Canton Fair phases and what to buy.
- Register online as an overseas buyer and keep the confirmation.
- Check entry rules for your passport: visa-free for most EU countries, otherwise 240-hour transit or an M visa. Details are in our registration, badge and visa guide.
- Book flights and hotel. Hotel prices near Pazhou rise sharply in fair weeks; Tianhe and hotels along Metro Line 8 are good alternatives.
- Write your product brief: specifications, target FOB price, quantities, packaging, required EU standards.
- Pre-screen 20-40 exhibitors using the official exhibitor search and a supplier database.
What should you set up 2-4 weeks before?
| Task | Details |
|---|
| Payments | Install Alipay and/or WeChat, verify your passport and link a Visa or Mastercard |
| Connectivity | Buy an eSIM or a roaming plan with data; many Western apps are blocked on local Wi-Fi |
| Maps and transport | Install a local map app (Amap or Baidu Maps) and DiDi for taxis |
| Translation | Download offline Chinese in a translation app |
| Business cards | Print 200-300 cards, ideally bilingual English and Chinese |
| Documents | Passport valid for six months, printed registration, hotel address in Chinese |
| Arrival card | Fill in the online arrival card via the NIA 12367 app or web portal |
| Interpreter | Book one for technical meetings or factory visits if needed |
| Bank | Tell your bank you are travelling and check foreign transaction fees |
Our China business trip survival kit covers apps, payments and connectivity in detail.
What should you pack?
Documents and business tools
- Passport and a photocopy kept separately
- Registration confirmation and badge QR code (printed and on phone)
- Business cards, 200 or more
- Product brief and target price sheet, a few printed copies
- Notebook, pens, small stapler to attach business cards to notes
- Samples or photos of your current best-sellers to show suppliers
Tech
- Phone with offline copies of key documents
- Power bank under 100 Wh (airline rule) and charging cables
- Plug adapter: China uses Type A and Type I sockets, 220 V
- Optional: a small portable scale and measuring tape for samples
Comfort
- Comfortable walking shoes; you may walk 10-15 km a day
- Light layers: Guangzhou in October and early November is often 22-30 degrees Celsius, with air-conditioned halls
- Refillable water bottle
- Foldable rolling bag for catalogues
How should you organise your days at the fair?
Plan three days per phase as a minimum.
| Day | Goal | Output |
|---|
| Day 1 | Walk all relevant halls, collect catalogues, photograph booths | Long list of 30-50 booths |
| Day 2 | Revisit 10-15 booths with your question list | Comparable answers on price, MOQ, lead time, certifications |
| Day 3 | Meet top 3-5 suppliers, discuss samples and next steps | Sample orders and follow-up plan |
| Optional day 4 | Factory visit near Guangzhou (Foshan, Dongguan, Zhongshan) | Verification of production capacity |
At each booth, take a photo of the booth number, the company name sign and the product, then staple the business card to your notes. In the evening, enter everything in a spreadsheet. Without this habit, booths blur together after day one.
For what to ask and how to discuss prices, see our Canton Fair negotiation tips.
How should you plan your budget?
Fair weeks are the most expensive time of year in Guangzhou, so set a budget before you book anything.
| Item | Typical range per person |
|---|
| Return flight from Paris to Guangzhou | 650-1,200 EUR |
| Hotel, 4-5 nights during the fair | 400-1,200 EUR |
| Metro, taxis and DiDi | 40-100 EUR |
| Meals | 100-250 EUR |
| Interpreter for 1-2 days | 120-400 EUR |
| Samples and excess baggage | 100-500 EUR |
Two simple ways to save: book your hotel as soon as you know your phase, and stay one or two metro stops away from Pazhou rather than next to the venue. Keep all receipts and the registration confirmation, as the trip is usually a deductible business expense.
How do you get from the airport to the fair?
Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport is about 40 to 60 minutes from the Pazhou complex.
- Collect your buyer badge at the airport pickup counter if you pre-registered.
- Take Metro Line 3 towards the city centre, then change to Line 8 for Xingangdong or Pazhou stations; or take a DiDi or official taxi, typically RMB 120-200 depending on traffic.
- Check in at your hotel and save its address in Chinese on your phone.
- On the first morning, leave early: queues at the entrances and on Line 8 peak between 9:00 and 10:00.
If you arrive from Hong Kong, the high-speed train from West Kowloon reaches Guangzhou South in about 50 minutes, and a badge pickup point operates at Guangzhou South station.
What red flags should you watch for?
- A supplier claiming to make everything from electronics to textiles.
- Refusal to share a business licence or unified social credit code.
- Prices far below the range given by other exhibitors.
- Pressure to pay a deposit at the booth or to a personal account.
- No test reports for regulated products such as toys or electrical goods.
What should you do after the fair?
- Send personalised follow-up emails within 48 hours, mentioning booth number and product.
- Request formal quotations with Incoterm, currency, validity and lead time.
- Order samples from your best two or three suppliers and compare them side by side.
- Verify each supplier's registration and, if possible, arrange a factory audit.
- Calculate the full landed cost including freight, duties and VAT before you commit; see how to calculate landed cost.
- Place a trial order with a pre-shipment inspection.
How Cina helps
Cina covers most of this preparation work for a fraction of the cost of a sourcing consultant. The premium guides and checklists in Cina resources include printable versions of these lists, question sheets and follow-up email templates. Before the fair, the supplier directory helps you shortlist exhibitors, and after the fair, the freight forwarders directory helps you organise your first shipment.
Conclusion
A first Canton Fair visit becomes productive when the paperwork, apps and supplier shortlist are ready before you land. Follow this checklist from eight weeks out, keep disciplined notes at every booth and act quickly after the fair. That turns three days in Guangzhou into a real supplier pipeline rather than a bag of catalogues.
